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Google’s AlphaFold Accelerating Protein Research

Neurodegenerative disease is the fastest-growing cause of death around the world. Deadly and infectious proteins known as prions have been fueling the global pandemic for years.

To help understand prion disease, a tech giant has stepped to the plate. Google developed a program called DeepMind to help crack the code and the mystery behind prions, especially those that misfold into deadly pathogens. AlphaFold is a significant AI breakthrough that is accelerating research in biology and medicine. 

AlphaFold’s database and tools are freely available, impacting diverse fields from disease treatment to the environmental challenges associated with neurotoxins. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the prion pandemic refers to the growing global crisis of neurodegenerative diseases that are increasingly understood to be caused by prions, a deadly and transmissible form of protein. There is not a known cure for prion disease.

The most common form of prion disease in humans is Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington’s disease and ALS also are caused by infectious prions.

In livestock, prion disease is referred to as mad cow disease, while in deer, elk, moose and reindeer prion disease is known as chronic wasting disease. Contrary to popular belief and disinformation, these diseases are closely related. The biggest difference in the human forms of prion disease is the region of the brain that is under attack. There is no meaningful difference between the human forms of prion disease and the animal forms. We need both AI and common sense to see through the lies and mismanagement. Answers begin with the truth.

The bad news is that the prion pandemic refers to the growing global crisis of neurodegenerative diseases that are increasingly understood to be caused by prions, a deadly and transmissible form of protein. This phenomenon is now a public health disaster that is worsening due to misinformation, mismanagement, and reckless public policies. Here are the key aspects of the prion pandemic:

Prion aversion is considered crucial, emphasizing the need to avoid the contagion in diet, water, and the overall environment.

What are Prions? Prions (pree-ons) are a deadly and unstoppable form of protein that migrates, mutates, multiplies, and kills with unparalleled efficiency. Prions are not alive, meaning they cannot be killed, and neutralizing them is virtually impossible. They defy all attempts at sterilization and inactivation.

Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative disease by converting normal cellular prion protein into a toxic, misfolded form that erodes the brain and body. This often leads to a “wasting disease” causing loss of body and brain mass, and the development of sponge-like holes (vacuoles) in the brain.

Prions and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Dr. Stanley Prusiner, an American neuroscientist, discovered and characterized prions, earning a Nobel Prize in 1997 for his work.

In 2012 and again in 2019, Prusiner confirmed that Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and ALS are all forms of prion diseases.

The clinical term for prion disease is Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), with “transmissible” being the operative word.

TSE is considered a spectrum disease, meaning that conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) are on the same continuum. The primary difference among them is the initial region of the brain impacted and the specific prion mutation.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is described as the most severe and aggressive form of human prion disease, often leading to death within weeks or months of diagnosis, behaving like “Alzheimer’s disease on steroids.”

Prion Transmission

Prions are highly transmissible among and between most mammals. The idea of a “species barrier” is a myth.

They spread through bodily fluids and cell tissue of infected individuals, including blood, saliva, mucus, milk, urine, feces, and skin. Environmental contamination caused by infectious victims is a significant concern:

Because of prion contamination, sewage treatment systems are serving as “weapons of mass destruction and “prion incubators” because they collect and distribute deadly prions from human waste. They also are spreading forever chemicals and other toxins. These systems cannot detect or stop prions.

The practice of land application of sewage sludge (biosolids) and wastewater reclamation is actively spreading prions into food and water supplies, contaminating crops, ranches, parks, and other open lands. Prions can remain infectious in soil and personal items for decades.

Medical procedures also pose a risk of prion transmission. Dental and surgical instruments exposed to people with prion disease are impossible to sterilize and must be discarded.

Scale and Impact of the Prion Pandemic

Neurodegenerative disease is now responsible for millions of lives each year. Its prevalence is predicted to quadruple by 2050, if not sooner. It is not a normal part of aging, with increasing numbers of young adults and teenagers affected.

Experts suggest that at least 25 percent of Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses are actually CJD. This misdiagnosis means millions of patients and caregivers are uninformed and exposed to a highly infectious disease.

CJD has not been declared a reportable disease across the U.S. and many other nations, hindering tracking and containment efforts. Family members and caregivers are frequently not warned about the risks. Spouses of those with Alzheimer’s disease or CJD are 600 percent more likely to contract the disease.

A definitive diagnosis of prion disease typically requires a lumbar puncture, brain biopsy or autopsy, which is rarely performed due to contamination concerns. Doctors often make diagnoses based on symptoms, which can be vague and overlap. A blood test is now available.

Governments and industries are accused of suppressing diagnoses and ignoring the prion threat, despite prions being initially classified as select agents, under the U.S. Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. Select agents are classified as such because they pose an extreme risk to food, water, and health systems.

Prion disease is now a public health disaster that is worsening due to misinformation, mismanagement, and reckless public policies. Below is a summary of the prion pandemic:

• What are Prions?
  • Prions are a deadly and unstoppable form of protein that migrates, mutates, multiplies, and kills with unparalleled efficiency.
  • They are not alive, meaning they cannot be killed, and neutralizing them is virtually impossible. They also defy all attempts at sterilization and inactivation.
  • Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative disease by converting normal cellular prion protein into a toxic, misfolded form that erodes the brain and body. This often leads to a “wasting disease” causing loss of body and brain mass, and the development of sponge-like holes (vacuoles) in the brain.
• Prions and Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Dr. Stanley Prusiner, an American neuroscientist, discovered and characterized prions, earning a Nobel Prize in 1997 for his work.
  • In 2012 and again in 2019, Prusiner confirmed that Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and ALS are all forms of prion diseases.
  • The clinical term for prion disease is Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), with “transmissible” being the operative word.
  • TSE is considered a spectrum disease, meaning that conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) are on the same continuum. The primary difference among them is the initial region of the brain impacted and the specific prion mutation.
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is described as the most severe and aggressive form of human prion disease, often leading to death within weeks or months of diagnosis, behaving like “Alzheimer’s disease on steroids.”
• Transmissibility and Spread
  • Prions are highly transmissible among and between most mammals. The sources emphasize that the idea of a species barrier is a myth.
  • They spread through bodily fluids and cell tissue of infected individuals, including blood, saliva, mucus, milk, urine, feces, and skin.
  • Environmental contamination is a significant concern:
    • Sewage treatment systems are identified as major “weapons of mass destruction” and “prion incubators” because they collect and distribute prions from human waste. These systems cannot detect or stop prions.
    • The practice of land application of sewage sludge (biosolids) and wastewater reclamation is actively spreading prions into food and water supplies, contaminating crops, ranches, parks, and other open lands.
    • Prions can remain infectious in soil and personal items for decades.
  • Medical procedures pose a risk: surgical instruments exposed to prions are impossible to sterilize and must be discarded.
• Scale and Impact of the Pandemic
  • Widespread misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis are critical issues:
    • Experts suggest that at least 25% of Alzheimer’s diagnoses are actually CJD.
    • This misdiagnosis means millions of patients and caregivers are uninformed and exposed to an aggressive, highly infectious disease.
    • A definitive diagnosis of prion disease typically requires a brain biopsy or autopsy, which is rarely performed due to contamination concerns. Doctors often make diagnoses based on symptoms, which can be vague and overlap.
  • CJD has not been declared a reportable disease across the U.S. and many other nations, hindering tracking and containment efforts. Family members and caregivers are frequently not warned about the risks.
  • Spouses of those with Alzheimer’s or CJD are 600 percent more likely to contract the disease.
  • The economic burden is immense, with Alzheimer’s disease alone being the most expensive disease in the United States, projected to cost more than $1 trillion by 2050.
  • Governments and industries are accused of suppressing diagnoses and ignoring the prion threat, despite prions being classified as “select agents” posing an extreme risk to food, water, and health systems under the U.S. Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
• Lack of Cure and Prevention
  • There is currently no effective treatment or cure for CJD or Alzheimer’s disease. Existing treatments focus only on easing symptoms.
  • Strategies to avert neurodegenerative disease include nutrition, exercise, and prion aversion.
  • Smart nutrition is suggested to help ease symptoms and potentially avert the disease. This includes recommendations like limiting saturated fats, increasing vegetable and polyunsaturated fat intake, and consuming specific vitamins and supplements.
  • Prion aversion is considered crucial, emphasizing the need to avoid the contagion in diet, water, dental/medical facilities and the overall environment.

There are proven strategies to help avert neurodegenerative disease, including nutrition, exercise and prion aversion. There is not a cure for prion disease, but smart nutrition can ease the symptoms.

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